Marry Me Chicken Soup

  

Maybe you haven't heard about the “Marry Me Chicken” trend. I hadn't. But, evidently, Marry Me Chicken is a dish that's soooo irresistibly good that the person you make it for will want to marry you. 

Well, I can guarantee that my beef-loving husband would not board the "trend train" for that one. He will eat chicken dishes. But he much prefers beef-focused meals. 

But, when Jill sent the recipe for Marry Me Chicken Soup and I had some leftover chicken from preparing a Core meal, it was like a sign that this would be one of those occasional times when I add chicken to the meal rotation. Brooke was her family's biggest fan of this soup. And if it's good enough for Brooke ... well, I guess it's good enough for Grandpa, too.

We had plenty of soup for leftovers. Bonus! As with any recipe that includes pasta, you'll have to add a little water, chicken stock, milk or cream to thin it out when reheating. As pasta sits and gets cold, it absorbs the liquid. 

Ironically, after the soup leftovers were gone, I had a recipe for Marry Me Chicken from Taste of Home show up in the email inbox. The writers of that article and recipe claimed Tiktok was behind the recent spread of the Marry Me Chicken trend with its sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cream sauce. Hmmmm - Tiktok. No wonder I didn't know anything about it.

If these cold days of winter have you chilled to the bone, I'll recommend Marry Me Chicken Soup. My beef eater liked it, too. (Probably not as much as me, but that's life. And the cook's prerogative, right?)

 

 Marry Me Chicken Soup

Adapted from https://realfoodwholelife.com 

based on recommendation from Jill

 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small diced
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
⅓ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
2 cups small-shape pasta (uncooked) such as orecchiette, ditalini, farfalle (I used ditalini)

To Add at the End

½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Heat a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the onion with the garlic powder and thyme, then cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 2 teaspoons salt, the sugar, sun dried tomatoes, and chicken, stirring to combine. Cover, and bring to a rolling boil.

Add the pasta, stirring to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick. Cover, reduce to a strong simmer, and cook until the pasta is just cooked through, about 8-15 minutes, depending on the pasta shape. Uncover and stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together or anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat off, uncover, and add the cream, Parmesan cheese, vinegar, and spinach, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Oh Baby Face!

Baby face

You've got the cutest little baby face.

 

 

There ain't nobody can ever take your place

Baby face

My poor heart's jumping
You started something 

 

 

Baby face, I'm up in heaven 

when I'm in your fond embrace.

 

I didn't need a shove, 'cause I just fell in love
With your pretty baby face.

 

It's that time of the year. And we don't envy the job that Tye and Todd are going to have to accomplish in the next few days of sub-zero wind chills. It's calving season for our cow herd. The Polar Express is a rude "welcome to the world" for any babies born in the next few days. 

While we aren't involved in the day-to-day operations any longer, we do still own cows and calves. But we definitely remember the days of 'round-the-clock checks on mamas in the maternity ward. And we salute Tye and Todd - as well as other livestock stewards - who will be braving winter weather to care for their animals.

 

As I've mentioned before, Tye and Todd have liberal visitation policies when it comes to our visits to see the new babies. A bunch of them are already on the ground. Some arrived during the last storm and didn't seem particularly bothered by napping on snow-covered ground.  

Back in our active farming/ranching days, we always spread out straw. The Millers do, too. But that doesn't mean the mamas or babies take advantage of it.

 

 But some do!

 

 

The mamas also provide a ready "warm milk bar." That's sure to warm babies up quickly!

 

 

It's self-serve, all-you-can-eat.

 

Visiting the cattle also provides a ready genetics lesson. Some babies look an awful lot like their mothers. 

 

Others must resemble their dads. 

 But they are all pretty darn cute.

Shoutout to all those producers who'll be braving the extreme cold during the next few days. Be careful out there!

Winterscapes

A panorama taken February 2, 2025

Winter's sky is an old blue soul, 

weaving dark clouds with wonder.

Angie Wieland-Crosby 

With snow in the forecast, my devoted summer-loving friends are lamenting another round of winter weather and longing for their flip flops. Personally, I prefer sweatshirt weather to 100-degree humid summer days. And these days, when I no longer have the daily climb into the feed truck, I can enjoy the scenery for what it is ... in a word, beautiful.

 

February 2, 2025

 

 

Sunsets were particularly colorful a few days last week. I guess AI is good for something: When I "asked," here's what the the AI Overlook spit out:

 

Winter sunsets often appear more vibrant and colorful due to the combination of colder, less humid air, which means fewer particles to scatter light, resulting in cleaner air and bolder colors, especially when compared to the more humid summer months. This phenomenon is called Rayleigh scattering, where the longer wavelengths of light like red and orange travel further through the atmosphere at sunset, creating the vivid hues we see.

 

February 3, 2025, south of Stafford

No matter the reason, the sunsets have been worth getting out of my warm house and driving down the road for an unobstructed look.

 

Later on February 3, 2025, Zenith branch, Kanza Co-op

 

The sky at dusk wasn't the only beautiful thing last week. We also had freezing fog and hoar frost. After seeing friends' Facebook photo posts, we likely missed the day with the heaviest hoar frost, since we were in Topeka a couple of days for our granddaughter's sports activities. 

 

Hoar frost is a type of feathery frost that forms as a result of specific climatic conditions. The word 'hoar' comes from old English and refers to the old age appearance of the frost. The way the ice crystals form makes it look like white hair or a beard.

 

Rattlesnake Creek along 4th Street near Highway 281 north of St. John, looking north, February 4, 2025. I made Randy stop on the bridge on our way to the accountant in Great Bend.

 

Looking south from the same bridge on 4th Street near Highway 281

The winter landscape scenes around here looked a little like Andrew Wyeth paintings with the stark scenes offset with fog and frost.

 

We had a little time between getting home from the accountant and my 2 PM meeting in Stafford, so we drove around so I could take more photos. The photo above was taken down an oil field road at our Rattlesnake Pasture. I've taken a lot of spring and summer shots at that same location, but I think this was my first winter scene.

I do have a confession for my summer-loving friends: I'm not sure I ever warmed up the rest of the day after hopping in and out of the pickup into the frigid air. 

 

 

But I think the photos were probably worth the bone-chilling cold. 

The snow drift is still lingering along this tree line. We are supposed to add more to it in the next couple of days.

With another winter storm set to move in, we'll see if there are any other winter calendar contenders in the days ahead.

 

 It is the life of the crystal,

the architect of the flake,

the fire of the frost, 

the soul of the sunbeam.

This crisp winter air is full of it.

-- John Burroughs

 

 

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites

I love chocolate chip cookies as much as the next person. But sometimes, a little fancier cookie option is required. 

Such was the case when I was to bring cookies for a new exhibit opening at the Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt. At about the same time, I saw a recipe for Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites during an inevitable Facebook scroll. The recipe looked like a potential contender. They were pretty on the outside and had a hidden surprise - a maraschino cherry. They reminded me of those boxes of chocolate-covered cherries that invariably take up shelf space at discount stores during Christmas time. But I thought they could be equally appropriate as we approached Valentine's Day. 

 I ended up combining them with a couple of other small, bite-sized cookies - Peanut Butter Cup Cookies and Pecan Tassies. I arranged them on a heart-shaped platter that I'd gotten for Brent's and Susan's rehearsal dinner supper.

They would be a "Treat for your Sweet" this Valentine's Day. I am more into homemade gifts than spending beaucoup bucks on whatever's trendy this year. If you are too, give them a try!

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites

From Butter with a Side of Bread 

1 box brownie mix (9X13 size)

Eggs according to package directions 

Water according to package directions 

Oil according to package directions
1 - 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained (reserve juice for frosting)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 Tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp reserved maraschino cherry juice

 

Mix brownie mix according to package directions with the required oil, eggs and water. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the batter into a well-greased mini muffin pan. Bake brownie bites at 350° for about 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Immediately after removing the brownie bites from the oven, press an indention into each one, using the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon. While the brownies are still warm, place 3 semi-sweet chocolate chips into each center. Let the chocolate chips sit for a few minutes until softened, then gently press a maraschino cherry on top of the melted chocolate in the center.

Let brownies cool completely. Carefully remove from muffin cups, then frost. To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Once the mixture is well combined, add the reserved cherry juice and beat until smooth. Frost the brownie bites using a decorator's tube, if desired.